Last time I saw WSSS, a friend and I actually had a debate about this subject. I think we came to the conclusion that they probably had to be miked in order to project all the way up and out into the large NYS Theatre, but it was done very well because we couldn't ever see any mikes or hear any evidence of amplification. But maybe they don't...the orchestra isn't amplified so...

Since Riff comes out, dances and then sings with some dancing during pauses in the song, if it is a body-mike, it has to be a securely affixed body mike that is very well positioned to avoid noise from friction with clothes, arms etc. and doesn't pick up any extraneous noise. Since none of us could see any mikes, they were well hidden and there certainly weren't any sound quality issues.

However, I suspect the usage of mikes (or not) depends on the size of the theatre, the dancer's voice and the acoustics of the theatre.

I seriously doubt there will be any SFB singers who will be able to project to the back of San Francisco Opera House. There are professional opera singers who have trouble doing that. I suspect they will need to be mic'ed.

Body mics are very sophisticated now. Every Broadway show uses them. The mics themselves are very small and powerful and usually run up the back of the neck and over one ear and are taped or glued to the side of the face near the temple. The mic pack is about the size of a deck of cards and can be secured anywhere under a costume but shouldn't be next to bare skin. They are usually worn at the small of the back.

There can also be ambient mics set up above the stage but they have a tendency to pick up the noise of dancers landing jumps.

Orchestras are rarely mic/ed because they are SO LOUD. Think about it. One singer vs. 75 musicians and their instruments including percussion and brass. The orchestra is always going to win.

I hope they bring in a vocal coach. As a singer (and someone who worked in opera for years) I cannot stand mediocre singing. The comapny has very good integrity and I hope they do it "right".

What's your reaction to the voices of some of the dancers in the movie version of West Side Story, such as Russ Tamblyn (Riff, who sings The Jet Song) and Tucker Smith (Ice, who sings Cool)? It wasn't until I saw a TV program of opera singers performing the songs, directed by Leonard Bernstein, that I realized that Tucker Smith hadn't hit all the notes that are actually in the score. For example, in the line "Boy, boy, crazy boy", there are two different pitches in the first syllable of "crazy" but Smith only sang one, and there are 3 pitches in the last "boy" but he only sang two.

Be that as it may, I prefer Tucker Smith's rendition to the opera singer's. But I thought the guy who sang Cool in the North Carolina's School of the Arts production hit a nice balance of vocal agility and the grittiness that the role requires.

The NYCB dancers may well have had mikes, but I couldn't even spot them from the 3rd row, so they were well hidden. Not easy considering that the dancers aren't wearing that much and sweating like crazy.

There are rarely if ever 75 musicians in the NYCB pit, and the NYS Theatre is made to dampen sound, not project it. Which doesn't make it terribly popular with the NYC Opera, but it's great to not hear pointe-shoe clatter. I've seen far too many clomping sylphs, swans and fairies over at the Met!

Boy, I agree with that. I didn't think the Met was a great stage for ballet when I saw ABT there in college.

The SF Opera House was built for opera and therefore the acoustics are quite good for projecting sound, but the throw is long. I suspect longer than the NY State Theater. And I remember that pit being kind of small compared to SFOH, but that could be my local bias.

Singing in a movie is a lot different from singing live. All the singing is recorded in a sound studio. Projection is not an issue. And different takes can be cut together. I never believe that movie singers can really sing until I hear them live. Actually that goes for all recorded voices especially pop music.

Singing in a movie is a lot different from singing live. All the singing is recorded in a sound studio. Projection is not an issue. And different takes can be cut together. I never believe that movie singers can really sing until I hear them live. Actually that goes for all recorded voices especially pop music.

But other than projection, what do you think of the style of singing of the people I mentioned who were in the movie version of WSS?

Although the company hasn’t advertised it, the corps has also lost several of its most prominent members. Among the missing on the 2008 roster—Kirill Zaretskiy, Chidozie Nzerem, Hayley Farr, Jonathan Mangosing, Brooke Taylor Moore and Joseph Phillips. Some have left voluntarily, and others not. Still, given the influx of talent during the past two decades, we should not excessively mourn their departure. That ballet has a way of renewing itself, year in and year out, is fact of life, a fact that has made the recent history of SFB a source of infinite fascination. There’s no reason to believe the process will grind to halt during the company’s diamond anniversary.

I hope chidozie can find a company that will give him more opportunities than he has had at SFB.

Yes! Every time he's been given an opportunity to perform in a featured role, it seems to me the audiences have appreciated it very much. I especially have loved his dramatic ability and wish I could have seen him as Tybalt.

Joseph Philips is now a soloist with Miami City Ballet (http://www.miamicityballet.org/). It's a big loss for SFB. He was a dancer who always gave a little extra to every performance. But his promotion will give him opportunities he didn't have as a corps member at SFB. He has already accomplished a great deal in a few short years: he won Gold Medals at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi (2002), the First Prague International Ballet Competition (2002), the Youth America Grand Prix, NY, (2002) and the Jury Prize at the International Ballet Competition in Helsinki, Finland (2001). This Spring he and Ashley Bouder of NYCB danced together at the Youth America Grand Prix 2007 Gala at City Center; he's partnered Ashley before and from all reports they dance very well together. (I chatted with him briefly before he left for Miami and told him I was looking forward to seeing him and the Miami City Ballet sooner than I would have seen him if he remained at SFB. Miami City Ballet is coming to Berkeley October 26-28. I'm looking forward to their visit.

Yes, let's keep track of these corps who have moved on. I noted Chidzoie from his first year with the company, and wondered why Helgi did not use him more. Another dancer I've followed since he left is Mikhail Plain, who went to Miami, then the Australian Ballet. I don't know what he is doing how. Eric Hoisington is another one of great promise who went off to other opportunities. Please keep us posted about Nzerem if you get any news.

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